Coming Out of the Dark
by u2fan2005
Summary: Years ago Spike use to be a part of Buffy’s life. They use to literally fight demons side by side until the day came when they broke apart. Now, Buffy is getting ready to face a big apocalypse and Spike is about to get married to a new girl. SPUFFY
1. Chapter 1

**Coming Out of the Dark**

**Summary: Years ago Spike use to be a part of Buffy's life. They use to literally fight demons side by side until the day came when they broke apart. Now, Buffy is getting ready to face a big apocalypse and Spike is about to get married to a new girl. However, their one meeting together changes everything for everyone. SPUFFY/ Spike-human/ Buffy-slayer**

**Chapter 1: **

_**Between Los Angelus and Sacramento… **_

"So I'm guessing you're not talking to me?" he asked after ten minutes of riding in the car in silence.

In the drivers seat William clenched the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He looked back over at his mute fiancée; she had her head turned at watching the darkness passing outside her car window.

"I'm taking that as a 'yes'." William sighed and looked back at the road as he drove back to their apartment in Sacramento.

Their evening with William's parents hadn't turned into such a wonderful evening as they planned. After telling them about their engagement, the highlight of the rest of the evening was turned to something else…but to put it more clearly it turned to _someone_.

"I meant to tell you." William spoke up.

His fiancée turned to with a glare, "That's a lie…" she said harshly.

"Listen…Jen…its all in the past—" William started but Jen decided to interrupt.

"Sure, in the past….a past that _you_ don't care to share with _me_!" Jen exclaimed.

William moved his neck side to side, trying to loosing the tension that was building up in his body.

"So…are you going to tell me about her or what?" Jen asked, "Or do I have to go and find out by myself?"

"Buffy was my first love…we met in high school, stayed together in college…and then we went our separate ways." William said quietly while staring out at the road.

"You forgot that little detail where you married her Will." The bitterness in Jen's voice was very clear.

There were a few minutes of silence. Jen turned and looked at William who hadn't moved his eyes away from the road.

"Now it looks like you're the one who's not as talkative." Jen said softly.

"It was a long time ago." William muttered.

"Even if it was...why didn't you ever tell me?" Jen asked, "This isn't something you learn a year into a relationship and when you are engaged Will…this is like a…a four date thing." Jen explained, "You couldn't just tell me 'Oh hey, by the way I was married once before.'?"

"Buffy is a part of my past Jen, a past that I rarely tell anyone…its private." William said quietly.

"Private?" Jen repeated.

William turned and looked at Jen and saw in her eyes that she wouldn't settle for just 'private'. However, that was as much as he wanted to say.

"Just trust me…its all in the past and nothing we have to deal with now." William said and hoped that subject would just drop.

"If it's nothing…then tell me about her…why is she such a secret?" Jen asked as she stared forward at the road.

_**Sunnydale…**_

"Damn it!" Buffy groaned as her back came in contact with headstone. She winced in pain but got back up and approached the snarling vampire.

"Ouch! My goodness! Things look bad for the Slayer, don't they?" a boy holding a video camera said as he moved around the scene of the fight, trying to get every move captured but also not getting in Buffy's way.

Buffy rolled her eyes at the boy's comment and kicked the vampire in the chin, sending him backwards on the ground.

"But the tables are always turning in a good fight." The boy said as he continued to narrate the fight.

Buffy was about the lean down and stake the vampire when its two feet came up and knocked her backwards. The vampire jumped to his feet in two seconds and looked over at Andrew.

"Uh…yes the tables are always turning out here in the graveyard…you never know who is going to be victim next." Andrew said while still filming. The vampire started to approach Andrew in slow struts.

"Hey, what do ya know…I may be the next victim…uh…Buffy?" Andrew called out and started to back away, "Buffy?"

The vampire was a foot away when Andrew tricked and fell down backwards.

"Buffy!" Andrew shirked like a little girl as he saw the vampire hovering above him.

The vampire was about to reach down and grab Andrew when he suddenly turned to dust.

"Next time I won't help you." Buffy said as she came into view right behind the dust of the vampire that once was.

Andrew dusted himself off and got up on his feet with his camera. "I think that little experience captured dramatic affect." Andrew called out as Buffy started to walk away.

After a few moments Buffy heard Andrew once again, "Maybe tomorrow night I could get you—"

Buffy stopped and turned around to face Andrew, "No! Listen, Andrew, just because I saved your life a couple of times in the past, and you work for Giles doesn't mean you get to videotape my job. I got a big apocalypse coming up and I don't need you in my way! Got it?"

After a brief moment of silence between them Buffy turned around on her heel in frustration and walked off.

"But people need to know the story." Andrew came back and said. He was now walking beside her.

"No they don't." Buffy muttered and took a quick glance around the perimeter of the cemetery to see if there was any more trouble.

"Why not?" Andrew whined, "I already got a bunch of tapes over the last month. I got you training, researching, working with weapons, and you're occasional…after slaying feast." Andrew muttered the last part.

Buffy stopped in place and shot Andrew a hard look, "You taped me eating!" she exclaimed.

"Just three slices of pizza and a chicken leg." Andrew said nervously.

"I want that tape tomorrow…am I clear?" Buffy asked with a threatening voice.

"Crystal." Andrew smiled nervously.

Buffy shook her head and started to walk off with Andrew right at her side.

"I was thinking of going more into depth about Slayer history…maybe go back and start at the beginning." Andrew explained.

'God, does this kid ever shut up.' Buffy thought.

"…like your high school days…also have a special on 'The Lost Scooby'."

Buffy stopped again, "What the hell are you talking about?" '

"Well…you know…Spike..." Andrew said.

Buffy clenched her jaw and fists, looking like she was about to strike out and hit Andrew.

"How do you know about him?" she asked while keeping her dangerously wild eyes on Andrew.

Andrew looked terrified to speak but he did, "Uh…Dawn told me that you—"

"Don't mention him again." Buffy interrupted and then walked away.

This time Andrew didn't follow her. He made a note to himself to not mention the name 'Spike' again around Buffy but secretly question her friends.

* * *

By the time Buffy got home it was way past midnight. After patrol she didn't go straight home, she took a long walk around town to sort out her thoughts. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. 

"So how was patrolling?" a red haired girl asked Buffy as she came from the living room.

"Fine Willow…where's Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"She just went to bed." Willow said and then looked at her friends face and saw exhaustion written all over her face, "Hey, are you okay?"

Buffy took off her jacket and hung it up, "Yeah…just tired." She muttered.

"Yeah…umm…did you have a big fight? Didn't think you would take this long." Willow mentioned.

"Well of course Andrew followed me…so that slowed me down." Buffy said with a sigh and looked up to met Willows eyes for the first time since she got home.

Willow let out a little laugh, "Yeah…I imagined he would slow you down."

Buffy started to walk into the kitchen and Willow followed behind her.

"Can't we get rid of him or something?" Buffy asked while opening up the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of water, "Or at least take away his stupid camera."

"I say let him have it…gives him something to do." Willow smiled.

Buffy let out a little laugh too. "Guess your right."

"He's been taping everyone for about a month…why are you now so suddenly annoyed?" Willow asked.

"Not _suddenly _annoyed…he's always annoying me." Buffy exclaimed.

"True…but still…did he say something that struck a nerve?" Willow asked, trying to pry information from Buffy. For the last couple of years Buffy has been like a closed book; getting the littlest bit of information from her is considered a big deal to Willow.

"Try like every nerve in my whole body." Buffy said under her breath.

"Huh?" Willow didn't quit catch the whole sentence.

"Nothing…nothing." Buffy said and started to head for the stairs.

"Buffy wait!" Willow exclaimed.

Buffy turned around and sighed, "Look, Willow, I'm tired and drained out tonight…can we just talk about this another time?"

And with those words Buffy took up off upstairs, not even waiting for Willow to reply. A few moments later Willow heard Buffy's bedroom door shut.

"Another time…" Willow sighed, "I've been waiting to talk to you Buffy for years…." Willow said quietly to herself and then turned back into the living room to continue doing researching on the latest big bad.

* * *

In Buffy's bed she sat at the edge of the side of bed looking down at the ground in the dark. When a few strains of hair came down and fell into her face she slowly brought her hand up and brushed them away. Once she drew her hand down she noticed how worn out her hands was starting to get, and how bare they looked. 

She reached over her nightstand and pulled open the last door to reveal a small wooden box. Buffy lifted the box out and sat it on her lap. When she opened the top she came face to face with memories—photos of her mother that died a few years ago, love notes, and lots of other things she collected over the years that she kept close to her heart. However, the one thing that she pulled out was a gold ring that seemed to shine from the moonlight coming through her window.

Buffy placed the old box back away and then lied back on her bed with the ring in her hand. She brought it up closer so she could examine it between her fingers. Then she slipped in on her left hand and stared at a few moments before looking up at her ceiling. Buffy knew that it was wrong to wear and have the ring on her hand but she couldn't help herself. Whenever she had the ring on her hand she felt relaxed and complete.

**TBC….**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **

**_5 years ago… November 2000_**

"_I'll be fine. Don't blow your top about it luv." William mumbled as he winced in pain and held his rib side._

"_At what point did you think you were alright? When that vamp threw you against the crypt or when he elbowed you in the face?" the tone in Buffy's voice had so many feelings in it. She was angry, concerned, and frustrated all at the same time._

"_Luv—" William tried to interrupt.  
__  
"No! No excuses. We are going to the hospital right now." Buffy grabbed his free hand and started to drag him off, "You probably got a few broken ribs." She mumbled._

"_Buffy stop." William stopped walking, which made Buffy turn around and face him. "You got to stop doing this." _

"Doing what? Being concerned about the man I love?" she asked.  
_  
"Luv, I can handle myself." William sighed and continued to rub his hurt side.  
__  
"Spike, how many times do you have to be knocked unconscious before you get the picture that you shouldn't be out here fighting out here with me?" She asked._

"_Oh I'm sorry that I care about my wife and just want to make sure she's safe." He said sarcastically._

"_I don't need protecting."  
__  
"And neither do I." he quickly reciprocated.  
__  
They both stood in the middle of the graveyard in silence for a long time. After a while William walked over to a headstone and leaned up against it while holding his rib side. He was still in pain but he looked down to the ground, making sure Buffy didn't see his pained face._

"_Why does this fight always feel like it's been worn down to the ground?" Buffy asked._

"_Because it has." William mumbled._

"_Feels like we fight about the same thing every few days." Buffy admitted as she walked closer to him and leaned on a different headstone so she could face him.  
__  
"Because we do." Spike moved his eyes to meet hers._

_Buffy smiled and shook her head and thought that he was absolutely right. She took a few steps forward and stared down at where his hand rested on his ribs, protecting them. _

"_Did you always think your life with be like this?" Buffy asked, "Seriously?" _

_"Sort of…" he attempted._

_Buffy looked up at him and gave a perplexed expression._

"_I always knew my life would include you in it." He gave her an innocent grin.  
__  
She wanted to be serious at the moment but she smiled back at him anyway. "You know what I mean."_

_William shrugged and looked around the graveyard, "It could be worse…" he attempted, then looked back at her, "…could still be dating Drusilla." _

Buffy rested her hand on his cheek and William reacted by leaning in to her hand. "I'm serious…I put your life in danger every minute of every hour…you're like married to a bomb."

William smiles, "I know…it's thrilling."

Buffy drops her hand and rolls her eyes, "Great, the only reason you married me is to get a thrill in life."

"_Wrong…" Buffy looked back up at him and waited, "I married you because I love you and you know that." _

"I know you do but…don't you feel like you deserve something more?" Buffy asked.  
_  
"More deserving than you?" he whispered.  
__  
"…maybe." She said quietly back._

_William tilts his and stares at her. Buffy looks down at the ground and bit down on her lip. _

"How long have you felt like this?" he mumbles.

_Buffy sighed and looked like she's going to say something but all she did was shrug._

_"Buffy—"_

_"Spike…William…" Buffy decides to use his real name in this serious matter, "I love you…but…"_

_"But? Why is there a 'but' in that sentence?"_

_"But… what kind of life are we going to have? Throughout the last few months it scares me to have you come back home with me after patrol with a sprained wrist or a black eye…" she starts to explain._

_"Cuts and bones heal luv…I'm not going to let a few scraps destroy us."_

_"I know…me too… but…what about when our kids--?" _

_"Kids?" William raises an eyebrow, "We have kids now?"_

_Buffy rolls her eyes, "No…but later…in the future…**if…**if we have kids one day what will that be like? I'm guessing no good."_

_"Oh I'm sure you're right, no kid would love to have a loving mother and father that can protect them from the badies of the world." William sarcastically said._

_"But they shouldn't have to be protected by badies…they should lead a normal life…like you are suppose to have!" Buffy shouted while her hands went flying about in all sorts of gestures._

_"Oh…I get it…me and everyone else should have a normal life, and you should be excluded." William told her._

_Buffy let out a long sigh and shook her head._

_"I'm the slayer Spike…I don't get the privilege of having a normal life. Don't you get that by now?" Buffy whispered to him. _

"Where does it say that you don't get a normal life? In some handbook that Giles has?"

_"No… but a slayer's life is very short…I'm twenty four years old, I'm guessing I don't have that many more golden year left…" she mumbled and looked down all depressed._

_"Hey!" William spoke up and grabbed her shoulders firmly, not caring that sudden movement hurt his injured side, "Don't say that."_

_"But it's true…" Buffy whispered and buried her face into his chest and let a few tears spill onto his shirt._

**Present Day…**

**Sacramento….**

Jennifer was seated at her kitchen table in her new townhouse that she just bought with William. She was hovered over a full cup of coffee that hasn't been touched and was no longer warm. Her upset face could be distinguished a mile a way, in fact the more she sat and gripped the side of her coffee cup the more upset she got.

William's footsteps could be heard from down the hallway of the kitchen. With each step he took a little bit of grinding of Jen's teeth would occur.

"Have you seen my black tie?" William called from the other room, "I can't seem to find it."

In the master bedroom William was rushing around putting things inside a suitcase that was laid open on the bed. He had a business trip to Seattle that he had to make, and since he had come home late from his parents the other night he had not packed the previous night.

"Have you checked under the bed?" Jen's voice came from the bedroom door.

William turned around and saw his fiancée leaning against the door with her arms crossed the middle of her petite body.

"Sometimes I find your ties there…" Jen said.

William stared at her for a few seconds, watching her eyes glare daggers into him. Then he went over to their bed and got down on his hands and knees and looked around.

"Uh…its not here." William said and got back up on his feet and faced Jen, "Well…it doesn't matter…I'll just go open collar."

William zipped up his suitcase and took it off the bed and set it down next to him.

"You want me to go look for it in the laundry room?" Jen asked.

"No…it's fine...I don't like ties anyway." William said.

Jen closed her eyes and nodded slightly, she seemed to be close to tears.

"How many days will you be gone again?" she whispered.

"Just three…" William said and came up to her and rubbed her arm, "How about when I get back we go to dinner anywhere you want?"

Jen opened her eyes and let a tear slide down her cheek, "You know dinner isn't going to make this better." she whispered to him and then went down the hallway and into the bathroom.

William didn't even bother calling after her, he knew she was right. In fact, he knew that things between Jen and him will now always be different now that the name 'Buffy' had entered the picture.

**Sunnydale….**

Buffy walked down one of Sunnydale's back alleyways at night after spending some time training with Giles at the Magic Box. The sun had set and she thought she'd do a quick sweep of the town before heading home.

Just before Buffy reached the end of the alleyway that lead to the main street a small figure stepped out. The creature's face was all messed up and scary, he was also wearing a dark colored robe.

"Slayer." He said.

Buffy sighed, "Not you again."

"We will keep coming until her magnificent gets what she wants from you." The minion explained.

"Well you can tell her she's not getting it….never…" Buffy growled.

The minion snickered, "You and your people are fools….her magnificent will just go through each one of your family and friends until she is face to face with The Key."

"Well you can send Glory this message…" Buffy quickly pulled out a knife from her back pocket and held it against the minion's throat. The creature gasped at the feel of the steel blade digging into his skin, "She doesn't scare me."

Buffy took the knife slowly away from his neck. Glory's minion stopped his heavy breathing and let out a sigh of relief.

"And just so you remember the message…" Buffy started and then pulled the knife back out and gutted him in the stomach. The minion cried out in pain. Buffy pulled her knife out of him and then watched him lean over in agony against the alley wall. She then walked pass him and out onto the lonely sidewalk near main street.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **

"I say dump him." Jen's sister, Kara, said as she gently stirred her tea.

At the moment the two sisters were sitting in a diner talking about Jen's crisis with William.

Jen rolled her eyes instantly at her sister's remark. Sometimes she wished her eighteen year old sister would act a little more mature so she could have a civil conversation with her.

"No. I'm not going to throw away our relationship of a year just because he didn't telling me this little thing of his past." Jen commented acting like the 'little thing' was a disease.

"Little thing?" Kara almost chocked while trying to sip her coffee. "You said he was married once before."

"He was…to this Buffy girl…" Jen bitterly said Buffy's name as she spoke.

"So why aren't they together? She cheated? He cheated? Too young when they got married, what?" Kara kept popping questions and really getting into the problem as if it were a soap opera on television.

"William never said." Jen sighed, "He's like a closed book on the subject….I don't know, maybe its best if I don't know."

"Uh-oh." Kara bit her lip as she stared at her sister across the table.

"Uh-oh? Uh-oh what?" Jen shrugged.

"If he's a closed book than that means he has something to hide." Kara explained, "Like he had a kid with her or…" Kara didn't finish her sentence, her face scrunched up in a cringe at nearly telling her sister what she thought.

"Or?" Jen pushed her sister to continue.

"Or…he still loves her." Kara finished with a frown.

Jen blinked twice and then looked down at her coffee cup without a word.

_**Sunnydale…1992**_

_Buffy's slayer instincts were sending her a red alert at the moment as she sat outside with Willow and Xander. She felt a pair of eyes watching her as if she was an animal's prey. She scanned the perimeter of the high school courtyard to see who may be gazing at her._

"_You looking for someone Buffster?" Xander asked as he noticed Buffy becoming distracted by something._

"_Huh?" Buffy quickly turned to face Willow and Xander with a clueless look._

"_You looking for other friends?" Xander joked; he knew that besides the geek trio that they were the closet knit of three friends at Sunnydale High School._

"_Maybe…why you feel threatened?" Buffy forgot about the mystery eye lingering and played along with Xander's joke._

"_Yep…Willow and I feel deeply threatened." Xander continued with his sarcasm. _

"_Deeply." Willow also started to play along for a moment but then switched the subject back to Buffy's distraction once again. "But what's up really?" _

"I don't know…I thought someone was watching me…my Slayer senses are tingling." Buffy took another look around the courtyard and then caught the suspect.

_A bleached blonde young man who looked around Buffy's age was leaning against the side of the big staircase in the school courtyard. He was smoking a cigarette and trying to blend in with the scenery. He wore a pair of dirty blue jeans and a dark black buttoned down top. _

_When he and Buffy's eyes met for the first time he turned away, seeming like he was embarrassed to be staring at her. He dropped his cigarette and crushed it with his big black boots. The boy took a quick glance up at Buffy before he walked off and into the school._

_However, before the bleached blonde could completely be out of sight Buffy asked, "Who's that?"  
_

_Willow glanced in the direction Buffy's eyes were glued to. "William Roberts…he's new and in my Calculus class." _

"What else do you know about him?" Buffy turned to her friend.

"_Umm…well he knows how to do integrals pretty well." Willow shrugged, "I really don't know that much about him…he has a British accent and his name is William is all I know."_

"_Why do you ask? Interested in someone besides Dead Boy Angel?" Xander quipped, "Someone more alive for a change?" _

Willow and Buffy turned simultaneously to Xander and gave him a glare.

_He nervously laughed and mumbled something about getting to class and then left.

* * *

_

_The whole day went by without Buffy thinking of William Roberts until she walked into the school library. _

_"Hey Giles! Are there any changes in the demon—"Buffy stopped talking once she saw the bleach blonde turn away from talking to Giles to face her. _

"_Buffy…umm this is William Roberts…he's my sisters son…my nephew. He's staying with me for a while." Giles nervously blurted out._

_Buffy shifted her eyes back and forth between the two. "Oh…umm…okay. Umm…I'mmm gonna leave now." Buffy turned on her heal and started out the door._

"_Wait, Buffy listen—Buffy!" Giles yelled out as Buffy nearly sprinted out the door._

"_I'll talk with her." William said as he started after her._

_William burst out the library and down the empty school hallway. He shuffled past Buffy and stopped in her way._

"_That was a nice meet and greet back there luv." William said with a smirk._

_"Was that why you were studying me in the courtyard earlier today?" Buffy jumped in and instantly accused the boy._

_"Hey now!" William yelled back in his defense, "I wasn't studying you…I was looking around at the kids in the school. I was not particularly gocking at you…I mean--" he blushed a little as he rambled on._

"_Oh please! I'm the Sla—" she instantly snapped her mouth shut before she could go on about her being the Chosen One._

"_The Slayer?" he quipped.  
__  
However, Buffy didn't need to keep her mouth shut. _

"_I know what you are and who you are luv…" William said as he gazed into her green eyes. _

"_Well…good for you." Buffy lamely said and then got back to questioning him, "So…why were you staring? Studying me because you're training to be a Watcher?" Buffy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him._

_William was going to open his mouth to explain himself but he decided to be as stubborn as she was at the moment. Instead he decided to insult her. "You know what forgot it. Why bother talking with you when all you do is accuse me of stuff? I don't need this…" He said and walked back down the hall and into the library._

_Buffy's eyes followed him as he walked away. But she never gave him the satisfaction of turning completely around to watch him go. _

_She didn't know why she acted the way she did, accusing him and supplying him glares. But at the time it's all she could do to react to the bleach British blonde.

* * *

_

"_You know I partly blame Giles for this." Buffy instantly huffed out as soon as she pulled away from Angel's lips._

_Angel blinked a few times in confusion. He didn't have the slightest clue at what she was talking about. _

"Huh?" Angel raised an eyebrow. 'Giles?' Angel thought to himself, 'She's thinking about Giles at the moment?'

"_I mean couldn't he tell me that he had a nephew let alone a family? I mean, he's Giles…you really never figured that he had another life other than being a Watcher…I mean—" _

"Buffy?" Angel interrupted her. She looked up at him waiting for him to continue. "What are you talking about?"

"William" she simply said.

"_William who?" Angel questioned, a touch of jealously flushed his face._

"_William Roberts…Giles's nephew…" Buffy said, enlightening her boyfriend a little further._

"_Huh…that's…interesting." Angel commented, he however didn't know why it made Buffy all upset.  
__  
"Interesting? How about weird?" Buffy moved a bit away from Angel and hugged her coat closer to herself. She felt a shiver run through her at the thought of William. "I mean the guy doesn't even act like Giles. He's all…punky…and bleached up." _

"So I'm guessing you're not fond of him." Angel said as he took a step closer to her. He was wearing his worried eyes at the moment. Even if Buffy was showing signs of dislike for this William guy it didn't mean that in the back of her head she had different feelings, one that she herself may not even be aware of. Angel knew more than anyone that the thin lines between hate and lust were truly real.

"_I don't know…our first impressions of each other were not good…different than what I'm use to." Buffy explained. She noted to herself that she acted like a completely different person when she met William, being harsh and hard with words._

"_Like when you and I first met?" Angel asked with a smile, hoping he could help shift her mind back to him._

_Buffy glanced up at Angel's eyes and was instantly dissolved again into something familiar. She smiled up at him and leaned into his body.  
__  
"Yeah…our first meet was something unreal." Buffy hugged him closer, letting her mind drift back to their first meet. 'What do you what?' 'The same thing you do.' The voices drifted in her mind back to a year ago._

"_A good unreal or bad one?" Angel whispered as he stroked her hair._

"_A good one." She whispered and closed her eyes with a smile. _

Across the cemetery that Angel and Buffy were currently having their 'moment' together stood William. He was watching the couple embrace with confusion. Giles mentioned to him earlier that it would be best if he went looking for Buffy on patrol and try to get along with her better and maybe patch up their argument.  
_  
Then as soon as he got half way into the cemetery, having good expectations that he would make everything right with the Slayer that his uncle was fond of, he saw Buffy with the tall brown haired man. William slowly took a few steps back and away from the scene before him._

_The thought that drifted in his mind as he walked back home to Giles place was, 'Guess the question of me making a friend tonight is answered.' _

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

**Present day…**

William felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket as he was about to register his suitcase at the airport. He stepped out of the line he was in, letting other people pass him so he could answer his phone. When he checked his caller ID he was flabbergasted at seeing a name he hasn't spoken to in more than a year.

William flipped his phone and questioned his caller, "Giles?"

"Ah…yes it's me." Giles answered from Sunnydale, "Is this a bad time?"

"Umm…" William checked his watch and eyed the now busy ticket line before answering, "I'm kind of at the airport—is everything alright?" he asked in a worried tone. Thoughts of Buffy being in trouble flashed into his mind.

"Uh…yes…as alright can be on the Hellmouth…but I just wanted to tell you I've got the wedding invitation…" Giles spoke up.

"Oh…" William paused; he had no idea of this sudden news about his uncle receiving an invitation to his and Jen's wedding. He mostly put his parents in charge of inviting his side of the family.

"Yes…umm…it came as bit of shock to me but…"

"Uh…yes…umm…does anyone else know?" William tried to hint around the mention of the ex-wife.

"You mean Buffy?"

William took a deep breath and then let it out, "Yes…"

"She doesn't know…" Giles stated, "Do you want me to tell her?"

"Uh…umm…"

"I'm taking that response as a defiant 'no'…" Giles came to his own conclusion when hearing his nephew stutter.

"How is she?" William switched off the topic and went on the subject of the concern for the Slayer.

"Fine…little bit tired…little bit distracted…we're facing a new bad and things are a little hard to at the moment." Giles briefly explained.

"Well I'm sure she can handle it." William muttered and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. 'God I could go for a smoke' he thought to himself…and then remembered he had given up smoking a long time ago.

"Yes…she's a fighter…" Giles agreed, "Well I just wanted to call and get the update from you…about this wedding. I would like to go…but you never know if something apocalypse related is on the menu here."

"Yes…I know…" William nodded and bit the bottom of his lip, keeping himself from going any further into asking in more detail about Buffy.

"Well I'll let you catch your plane…and umm…stay safe. Don't hesitate to call…even though it seems like you feel you can no longer talk with anyone from your past…remember, I'm family too. And I do care for you…and for Buffy…I'm not taking sides and—"

"Yes…I know. I best be going Rups…can't be late." William quickly said.

"Alright…goodbye." Giles said and hung up.

Once William hung up his phone, he eyed a Duty Free shop across the check-in area and started to walk briskly over to it with his luggage wheeling behind him. Once he got up to the front counter he told employee in a short breath, "Pack of cigarettes please."

* * *

William was seated outside the airport on a bench with his luggage at his feet and watching families drive up the curb and unload there bags and the take off like some sort of assembly line. He placed the lit cigarette back in his mouth and let out a long drag and closed his eyes in the comfort of the nicotine that pumped into his system. William glanced over a young couple kissing there goodbye's before the man went into the airport and leaving the girl in tears. 

'Ha…' he thought to himself as he watched the teary girl get in the car and look back into the airport with a deep longing before she drove away. 'Girl doesn't get what real pain is…bet you by the end of the day she's all laughing and prancing about without giving him a second thought.'

William's thoughts drifted to Jennifer…wondering if she was missing him deeply and was thinking about him at the moment. 'Probably not…' he concluded for himself. He took another deep drag from his cigarette before letting it fall to the ground and squished it with the sole of his shoe.

He glanced at his watch. His plane was due to leave in an hour and he hadn't even checked his bag in at the counter yet. William didn't understand why he wasn't panicking that he was bound to miss his flight. 'Maybe I just don't care anymore…' the idea rolled around in his head.

When he got up from the bench and grabbed his luggage by the handle William took a few short glances at the airport…sort of like he was making a decision on whether to try to race and catch his flight or just bugger the whole thing.

* * *

**Sunnydale…**

"Dawn don't argue with me, please…just do your homework." Buffy told her sister as they walked into the Magic Box. Giles was standing behind the counter looking at the wedding invitation in his hand when he noticed the Summers girls walk in. And as soon a he saw Buffy he quickly placed the invite in a drawer behind the counter.

Dawn rolled her eyes at her sister. "Why bother…school is just a mindless automaton…"

Buffy didn't even have to ask who told her that little tidbit of information. The sentence just screamed Spike from all directions.

Buffy shook the thoughts of him out of her mind and took a deep sigh, "Please just do it." She stated and walked over to Giles.

Dawn rolled her eyes once again and sat at the big round table and started to get working on her math homework.

"So what's the what?" Buffy asked Giles quietly.

"Umm…nothing." Giles shook his head, trying to appear to be as innocent as someone could who had a major secret could be.

"Really?" Buffy narrowed her eyes at him, "Seems like there must be something a brewing…I just gutted one of Glory's minions the other day…no news on that?"

"You gutted Glory's minion?" Giles eyebrow's shot up and he seemed very surprised at his Slayer's information.

Buffy shrugged, "What can I say…I'm the Slayer…I go after bad things…"

"Are you sure that's wise?" Giles asked, "Won't this make Glory angrier and want revenge?"

"The thought as crossed my mind…and I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do but hey, what can i say--- I was in the moment. Looking back on it…should've just captured the little hobbit guy and held him for ransom." Buffy scoffed.

"Well…we'll see how well your message of stabbing her messenger went of to Glory…maybe she doesn't have compassion for them."

* * *

"Oh my poor little Jinxy…" Glory cooed as her minion as he sat on the couch in pain, "Please don't bleed on my couch I just got it steamed clean…" she quickly said as she sat next to him on the couch, "If you feel the need to bleed go to the bathroom." 

Glory's other minion, Murk, glanced down at Jinx's wound. "I'll retrieve some bandages…" and went off to leave the room.

"So did you find anything about the Key?" Glory asking quickly.

"Uh…not quit your magnificence…the Slayer seems too caught up in stabbing me for me to get any information for you…"

"Oh poo!" she whined and got up from the couch and started to pace, "Who does she thing she is? Stabbing one of my little minions and getting away with it…and leaving me with no clue on whom the stupid Key is…"

"Perhaps Murk will do better, your lovely." Jinx suggested as he winced in pain again.

"I can't have you all going out there getting cut up…by the end of the week you both will be bleeding all over my new vintage rug." Glory pouted, "No, this matter has gone far enough…I guess I'll just have to handle it myself." She paused for a moment and then turned to Jinx. "What do you know about the Slayer…personal stuff…?"

"Uh…with research we know her mother died not too long ago…she's raising her sister…has a Watcher…friends…"

"Any lovers?"

"She once did…records have concealed that she once was married for a short while."

"Married?" Glory laughed, "A Slayer married? That's the laugh of the century…who in the right mind want to marry thing like her?"

"A Mr. William Roberts…" Jinx informed.

"William huh?" Glory smiled.

"Any idea where he is?"

* * *

William drove his car into down the California highway and into the night. Without a second thought after he got inside his car at the airport he started to drive…passing his home and driving further and further away from it. A number of calls on his cell phone were directed to him but he ignored them all. He really didn't want to speak to his company or Jen or even his parents….he just kept driving down the road, watching sign after sign telling him he was getting closer to the little town of Sunnydale. 

**TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

It was nearly four in the morning when Giles was awaken to the sound of knocking coming his front door. The Watcher slipped on a robe and placed his glasses back on his face as he stumbled his way through his apartment to the door.

"Bloody hell…" he cursed quietly when his bare foot came in contact with the couch. The fact that it was so early in the morning had him all disoriented and clumsy.

As he unlocked the door and was ready to meet his greeter on the other side of the door, he thought harsh thoughts about the late night visitor.

"Alright whoever you are you better have some sort of weapon to threaten my life with or something—" Giles stopped half way through his threat to be amazed by the young thirty year old man standing before him.

William stood at the door frame in wrinkled business clothes and his eyes revealed to be very tired, it was clear that he drove all night long to reach his destination of Sunnydale.

"William…?" Giles breathed out and darted his eyes up and down his nephew to make sure he was real.

"I didn't bring any threatening weapons Rups…." William commented on Giles threat that he made just before he opened the door, "But I do have a stake in the car just in case." He shrugged.

Giles looked down at his feet and hide a little smiled.

"Sorry I woke you and all…" William started.

Giles shook his head and kept the smile on his face as he lifted his head to look back at his nephew. "It's quit alright…"

"I…I just really didn't know where to go." William had a hard time uttering the sentence and trying to keep his emotions on the neutral side at the same time.

Giles opened his door a little wider, motioning for the young man to step in. "Well I'm glad you came." Giles said as William walked pass the threshold and into the apartment.

William glanced around his uncle's old apartment that he hadn't seen in years. He noted to himself that mostly everything looked the same—demon books and Watcher diaries on the bookshelves, a cup of half drunken tea sitting beside a newspaper on the kitchen counter, and of course no television.

"Did you drive all night?" Giles turned William's attention from the inside of apartment back to him.

William shrugged and stuffed his hands into his black coat pockets. "I guess you can say that…I sort of left the airport after you called me."

Giles absorbed the new information he received and thought for a minute before asking, "So your fiancée…does she know you're here?"

William bit his lip and shook his head. The guilt was started to pour into his body from just hearing Giles say that he lied to the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

"Oh dear…" Giles sighed and couldn't stop his nervous habit of pulling off his glasses and cleaning them.

"Yeah…" William agreed fully with Giles's 'Oh dear' comment. "Coming out here was sort of a spare of the moment thing."

"I see…" Giles directed himself to his couch as he continued to clean his glasses.

The bleached blonde followed Giles and sat himself down in a chair just adjacent to the couch. 'Poor fellow…' William thought to himself, 'He's going into double time with those glasses.'

"And what is the point to your sudden appearance?" Giles closed his eyes, waiting for the answer of 'Buffy' to come from his nephew's mouth.

William opened his mouth and let it hang there for a few moments before he explained, "Not sure…just talking with you made me want to come…to see how Sunnydale was….see if…"

"See Buffy?" Giles interrupted and opened his eyes to look at William.

"I don't know yet…" he whispered and bounded his head back down, trying to find something interest about Giles's carpet.

"William, I don't know what to tell you. Being Buffy's Watcher I would tell you to go back home and leave her be….but being your uncle…" Giles stopped and sighed, "And Buffy being like a daughter to me…I do feel you two need some closure."

"Closure?" William blinked and thought about the meaning of the word for the moment. 'Does that mean…?' the possibilities of the end of that question filled the young man's mind.

"I won't tell her you're here if you don't want me to...but, I must plead with you to tell me your intensions soon. We have a big fight coming up and…well…big things are taking place that need attention." Giles didn't want to go into too much detail about Glory or Dawn being a mystical blob of green energy that was created by monks. That was up to Buffy to tell him…if he ever chooses to see her.

"Fight?" William's ears perked up in interest.

Giles nodded, "Yes…seems to be that time of year if you remember."

"Yes, I remember." William nodded and had mini flashbacks to the times where he fought beside his Buffy against things like Angelus and the Mayor. "What is it this time?"

"Umm…I don't think its best you don't know…I mean it's nothing we can't handle." Giles suddenly said.

It was like shooting an arrow in William's heart when his uncle basically said in a few short words that he wasn't part of the 'gang' anymore. 'Well you aren't part of the gang anymore you stupid sod so just drop it….you have a life…a different life…a life without her.' He thought to himself.

"If you decide to meet with Buffy…maybe she can fill you in. But for now…" Giles trailed off.

"I get it Rups…I get it." William nodded and stood up from his seat.

"You have some place to stay?" Giles asked as he too got up from his seat.

"I'll check myself into a motel for the time being…" William informed and started toward the door.

'For the time being…?' Giles thought, 'Does that mean he's staying?'

"I'll figure out what I'm doing tomorrow…" he continued as he opened the door and started to travel into the dawn of the morning.

"William." Giles spoke, causing his nephew to turn around and look at him.

'Say something…'Giles told himself, 'Say something helpful…something that may help his nephew through this confusing time…'

"Do be careful", it was the only thing Giles could come up with to say, he cringed inwardly when he sounded like an old Watcher instead of a loving family member.

William chuckled, revealing a bit his boyish free spirited cocky attitude through his laugh. "I know Rups…can never really forget that you guys live on the mouth of hell."

"Yes…" Giles chuckled, however it wasn't the vampires and demons that he was warning William about. He knew very well that his nephew could take care of himself—he lived with him at one time and had a wife that was a Slayer.

William gave a short wave and walked into the misty morning, leaving Giles's slumped over his doorframe watching the young man walk away.

**TBC...sorry about it being so short...**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

**Sunnydale…1992…**

_William rubbed the back of his head as he worked on English paper inside his new room at Giles's place. The room didn't have much character to it…nothing too much to William's personal taste. But for the time being the teenager didn't care…all he cared about was finishing his paper…and a certain blonde petite Slayer…and certain man that was shoving his tongue down her throat in the cemetery that one night._

_When William asked his uncle about the mysterious man that was seen with Buffy he learned all about the dramatic history of the Slayer and vampire with a soul. And by the end of the history lesson all William had in response was…'Sounds like some pounce to me…'_

_A knock at the bedroom door disrupted the bleached blonde's work on his tiny sketches of Angel being staked in the margins of his English paper. William turned around in his chair and was surprised to see the blonde girl at the door dressed in jeans and a black tank top. Buffy's hands were crossed across her small frame and she was holding a stake in one hand. Her face expression wasn't hiding the fact that she didn't want to be the room with William at the moment._

"_Yeah?" William muttered when he saw she didn't say a word and was avoiding looking at him._

"_Giles thought it would be a good idea from you to come patrolling with me…" she rolled her eyes._

"_Why?" _

Buffy threw up her hands and gave an outrageous look, "Don't ask me! He's gone crazy…he's a crazy Watcher man…"

_William bit his lip to hide the smile he wanted to display at her dramatic scene of outrage. Even though her anger was over the fact that she didn't want be near him, William had to admit she looked cute when she got huffy._

"_So he thought it would be best for me to go with you?" William asked._

_Buffy gave a deep sigh, "Are you coming or not? I don't have time for this…got things to do, demons to slay." _

"Vampire's to kiss?" William quickly added. And once the words left his mouth he deeply regretting it.

_Buffy blinked a few times in shock and her eyes grew to the size of saucers._

"_What did you just say?" _

William got up from his seat and grabbed his black leather long duster jacket and muttered, "Nothing…"

"_Yes you did!" Buffy accused._

_As he pulled his arms through the sleeves of his coat, William found it very hard to meet her eyes._

_  
"Well?" Buffy asked when he didn't say anything._

_  
"You ready to go?" William asked quickly, ignoring her and grabbing the stake from his desk and started out the door. _

_Buffy stood in William's room for a few moments, letting the furry inside her built and built before following him out the door. The only thought on her mind was that something was defiantly going to die tonight…and vampires and bleached blondes were without a doubt on the top of her list._

_The two strolled beside one another in the cemetery looking for demons and sharing nasty looks with one another every so often. The silence hung around the duo and seemed be some sort of game to both of them—who would crack first. _

_And in the end it was William, "So this Angel fellow…tell me about him." _

Buffy halted and turned to face him with gleaming eyes, "Angel?"

William shrugged and then scanned the surroundings of the cemetery, "Rups told me you're dating him."

"Yes I am." Buffy stated and crossed her arms, "Got a problem with that or something?"

William smiled and shook his head as he turned to face Buffy, "You know that sounds really funny coming from a girl who is suppose to be shoving stakes into buggers like him…"

"You don't know Angel." Buffy shook her head and narrowed her eyes.

William raised his hand, expressing a certain height, "Ponce about this high…and has gelled hair and wears lifts? Think I've seen him, love." He chuckled.

_  
Buffy scrunched up her face in confusion, "When did you meet him?" _

_William's eyes grew a bit wide for a moment when he realized he revealed a bit of too much information. So in response he quickly thought up a cover-up._

"_Uh…I didn't meet him…I well…I saw him one night…you know…and-and…he was fighting some demons and I asked my uncle who he was and all…and…that's about it…" William lied._

"_Uh-huh…" Buffy nodded, not really convinced with what the bleached blonde was telling him._

"_Forget it…the fact still remains…you're dating a vamp." William pointed out._

"_He has a soul." _

"Meaning?"

"_Meaning he's good…" _

William chucked, "Vampire with a soul…so he won this soul or what? Prophecy? Magic? What makes him so special?"

_Buffy paused; she really didn't know how to go about answering his question because for a fact she didn't know too much about Angel's soul herself._

"_He just is…" she blurted out lamely and turned to walk away. However, William was just two steps behind her and easily catching up with her pace._

_  
"So what's wrong with us living boys huh? Need a demon in your man or something?" William went on pressing on the Angel topic a bit more._

"_Nothing wrong with human guys." Buffy answered while keeping up her steady pace, "But I think there is something wrong with Billy Idol wannabes who go around nagging a pissed off Slayer." _

"Hitting a little below the belt there love with the Billy Idol remark." William muttered.

"Oh really?" she smiled, "I thought it was funny."

When Buffy didn't hear the sound of his big black boots stomping beside her anymore she stopped and turned around to see William standing a few feet away and just staring at her.

"_What?" she shrugged in defense. _

"Night Slayer…" he muttered and turned around and went left her alone.

_Buffy just stood in her stop and watched him go in surprise…'Oh well…' she thought to herself, 'I didn't want him with me anyway.' And with that thought she turned around and went to seek out some creepy critters of the night.

* * *

_

_**A week later…**_

_William sat at a table in The Bronze by himself. He was sort of huddled in the corner and hunched over a bowl of peanuts, trying to hide away from the couples and young crowds of teenagers._

_Over the past week the bleached blonde had not really made any new potential friends. His status as being the mysterious punky dude from England seemed to not get him the attention that he thought he would receive._

_"Hey William."_

_William's head shot up and saw Buffy's friend Willow coming over by herself. He straighten up in his seat and looked a bit surprised that a friend of Buffy's had acted kindly towards him._

_"Hello." He greeted back._

_Willow gave a polite smile and rested her hands on his table. "So see you're enjoying Sunnydale's one and only hang out place."_

_William smiled and let out a tiny laugh, "Yeah…this place is halfway decent."_

_"I guess…" Willow shrugged, "I'm a bit surprised myself that the owners haven't shut the place down since all the chaos with vampires and demons always storming in on the place."_

_"So you get a lot of action in here huh…?"_

_"Pretty much….whether isn't getting your groove on or staking a newbie vampire…" Willow explained._

_"So you help the Slayer fight then?" William asked._

_Willow bit her lip and looked around nervously at the crowd of kids around her, hoping they didn't hear Buffy being called the 'Slayer'. "Pretty much…" she said quietly. "It's kind of a hush matter around here…me, Xander, and Giles sort of help Buffy out when she needs it…not that she needs it but…"_

_"I think she needs it…" William quickly interrupted, however he realized that his remark came out all wrong. "I mean, girl has to have friends…they make her stronger…make her feel…makes her a good fighter."_

_Willow smiled, "Did you just compliment Buffy—saying she a good fighter?"_

_The bleached Brit smiled and chuckled, "Guess I did didn't I?"_

_The red head tilted her head to the side and studied him a bit, "I thought you hated her."_

_"What?" William was a bit taken back, he thought completely the opposite—that the Slayer hated him._

_Willow shrugged, "That's what she said…she told me your meet and greet the first day wasn't entirely beautiful or anything."_

_"Yeah, it's true…but, I don't hate her...she hates me." William made things a little more clear._

_"Hate's a pretty strong word…" Willow clarified._

_"Should I use something stronger then?" he laughed and looked down at his bowl of peanuts, embarrassed._

_"I can't lie and tell you she wants to be your study buddy at the moment…its just…the truth of the matter is it's hard for Buffy to trust guys…"_

_"She trusts Angel…and your pal Xander." William pointed out._

_"True…Xander is a goofy guy but is extremely protective…and Angel….well, I don't know if Buffy fully trusts him. She is dating him but that doesn't mean too much, besides she is still getting to know him."_

_William nodded in clarification that he understood and took a deep breath, "I get it with the Xander fellow…but Angel?"_

_"Yeah…guess it takes some time to getting use to. But hey, Xander's not too keen on him either, so maybe you can start a club together or something…" Willow smiled._

_William chuckled and looked across the club room and spotted Buffy all dressed up for an evening of dancing and hanging out with her friends. The Slayer walked over to the bar with a smile and ordered a drink and flipped her hair back around her shoulders. Willow too turned around when she saw something caught William's eye; and when she noticed that William seemed to be staring at Buffy with a bit of interest she raised an eyebrow in surprise. 'Could…William…like like her?'_

_"Do you want to come over and join us?" Willow asked._

_The bleached blonde turned quickly around to the red head and shook his head quickly. He got up from his seat nervously and placed his hands inside his pockets. "No…no…I don't think that's such a good idea."_

_"Why not? This can be your chance to set things right between you two." Willow pleaded, sort of rooting for the idea for there to be a new gang member to join there small circle of friends._

_"I already told you Red…she hates me and after the other night and me sort of bashing her vampire honey Angel—well I don't think I rank high on her list of people to spend a Friday night with." He honestly said._

_"Oh come on William, you never know unless you try." She pouted and pulled out her innocent puppy dog eyes that she used on Xander sometimes._

_Even though William was sucker for girls that pouted he still stood firm on his decision, "I think I rather live with the unknown…" he muttered sadly and left out the back exit of The Bronze._

_Willow frowned as she watched him leave all alone. She couldn't believe that in the last five minutes she saw a man that appeared to be tough and cold turn out to be someone shy and protective of his emotions._

_"Hey Wills…"_

_Willow turned around and caught the sight of Buffy giving her a hundred watt smile as she walked over with her soda._

_"What's up?" Buffy smiled._

_The red head sighed and glanced back at the door that William exited._

_"Nothing…" Willow mumbled._

**TBC...chapter update coming soon. maybe some more flashbacks to old season 2 episodes...the ones that start off Bangel...but hey, i can change the ending of that...and i mentioned Dru earlier...well...you might see her coming up. **


End file.
